Tuning optical, magnetic, and electrical parameters of CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles incorporated with GO and ZnO using a...

Nano-ferrites, metal oxides, and carbon-based nanomaterials have been used frequently to enhance optical and magnetic prospects for latent applications. Copper ferrite/Graphene Oxide and Zinc Oxide (CuFe₂O₄/GO/ZnO) ternary nanocomposite synthesized by hydrothermal route showed dramatically good outcomes as the band gap energy value of synthesized nanocomposite approaches to 2.4 eV. Furthermore, the light absorbance of CuFe₂O₄ increases by adding ZnO and GO. The experimental data revealed the face-centered cubic structure (FCC) of pure spinal ferrite (CuFe₂O₄) nanoparticles even after adding ZnO and GO. The 2θ peak observed at 31.70° with (220) hkl planes indicates the successful addition of ZnO nanoparticles in CuFe₂O₄/GO nanocomposite. XRD graph, the absence of characteristic peaks of GO revealed the intercalation of CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles with GO layers. In SEM images, agglomeration among CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles is observed due to the magnetic interaction of nano-crystallite with a high surface-to-volume (S/V) ratio. VSM can be used to determine the magnetic properties of as-synthesized samples at moderate temperatures under 0-0.5 and ± 5 tesla. In CuFe₂O₄/GO/ZnO ternary nanocomposite, the saturation magnetization value reduces from 2.071 to 1.365 emu/g due to the addition of ZnO nanoparticles. The loops were narrowed showing a decrease in the coercive field with the addition of ZnO nanoparticles in CuFe₂O₄/GO ternary nanocomposite material. Moreover, the study of electrical properties of pure CuFe₂O₄ and CuFe₂O₄/GO/ZnO ternary nanocomposite revealed that the values of dielectric constant and tangent loss decrease at high frequencies owing to surface charge polarization and intrinsic dipole interactions. The study of the electrical properties of both pure CuFe₂O₄ and the CuFe₂O₄/GO/ZnO ternary nanocomposite reveals that the dielectric constant (ε') and tangent loss (tanδ) exhibit a decreasing trend as the frequency increases. This behavior is attributed to surface charge polarization and intrinsic dipole interactions. At lower frequencies, both samples display elevated values for these properties, which stabilize as the frequency increases beyond 2 MHz. Notably, high AC conductivity is observed in both samples, attributed to increased capacitance and resistance.